Punjab local bodies minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Wednesday said Bikram Singh Majithia doesn’t deserve to be called ‘Majhe da Jarnail’. He said that people discarded him during the Gurdaspur bypoll as BJP candidate Swaran Singh Salaria lost by a huge margin of nearly 2 lakh votes.

Ajnala MLA Harpartap Singh and Gurdaspur MLA Barinderjit Singh Pahra said the party will widen its base in Majitha.

Instead, he declared Congress MLA from Dera Baba Nanak, Sukhjinder Randhawa as ‘Majhe da Jarnail (commander) since Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar had won the election. The Akali Dal had bestowed the title of “Majhe da Jarnail” on Majithia.

Sidhu and other Congress MLAs celebrated the party’s victory in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll in Majithia. Addressing party workers, Randhawa challenged Bikram Singh Majithia to resign and contest elections against him from Dera Baba Nanak.

Reacting to Sidhu’s statement, Majithia said the Congress’ show of strength was a flop. “Sidhu has miserably failed to run his department and has been exposed. Let him try to take on the SAD. We will fight him tooth and nail and not allow him to indulge in oppression against anyone,” said Majithia.

“Randhawa should resign tomorrow itself and I am ready to contest against him from Dera Baba Nanak. He had won the last assembly election by a thin margin of 1,000 votes,” Majithia said.

Meanwhile, Ajnala MLA Harpartap Singh and Gurdaspur MLA Barinderjit Singh Pahra said the party will widen its base in Majitha.